I don't know how to begin this... but there is nothing to do but to begin and state the facts. I don't know if this will stay on the forum, because it flies in the face of the traditional modality for treatment of OC, yet my husband started the traditional treatment, so perhaps you'll hear my story. I've been here before.

I came to this web site because my husband was diagnosed with T2N2bM0 cancer on the back of the tongue and neck. You all know what that can mean and how important it is to find others who have had this disease.

We went through all the carousel rides of doctor meetings, prognoses, planning, pre-dental issues (UCLA wanted to do extractions, we had a second opinion by a highly qualified dentist elsewhere, and no extractions were advised--just some issues with periodontal disease, which were cleared up before he began treatment.) A small doubt in the services being provided surfaced at that point, but I still went along with what the doctors were telling us, because "they know best," right?

So why am I writing now? And re-introducing myself? Because after my husband went through one chemo and 13 radiations, he said, "NO. No more. My body is screaming how wrong this is!" That was January 25th.

I thought it was a death warrant signage, and went into panic mode. But not being a passive person, I started doing research because I was not going to allow him to die from this awful disease if I could prevent it. Days of research followed. I found a lot of stuff out there...

So why share this with you? Because as of this date, March 17, my husband's tumors are GONE. He's going in after eight weeks (that will be next Monday) for blood work to see what's what. The thumb-sized tumors in his lymph nodes on his neck (the first sign of the problem from last August) have shrunk down to smaller than a pencil eraser and can only be felt upon deep palpitation. I'm smiling because I already can guess what those test results are going to be.

What did he do? He went to a complete RAW foods diet. And I do mean raw. That was quite an adjustment for me... (now I only slave over a cold countertop!) No alcohol. No meat. No processed foods, no bread, no sugar, no dairy. Tons of fresh greens and fresh fruit, organics mostly, and blended "greenies" smoothies. Do you know I really found that raw asparagus is GOOD? He started the Budwig protocol of the odd mix of flax seed oil and cottage cheese (6 T. in 1 cup per day, blended with fruit and almond milk into a quasi-smoothie). He has taken supplements of barley and vitamins, and drinks Ave (patented as Avemar), which was recommended by a friend of mine to handle the chemo--boosting the immune system. He figured that doing all six of the recommended protocols I found on this link (removed by moderator) would be better than doing just one. Shotgun approach, I know, but for him it worked.

Now, here it is seven weeks after abandoning the chemo/rad sinking ship, and he is at his ideal weight, does the martial art of aikido for up to three hours daily without being tired, looks YEARS younger, and has more energy than anyone I know.

He took the risk of abandoning traditional "treatment" and I know that had he been continuing on his original path, he would not be in such good shape.

I hope that I'm not too out of line for sharing this, but if I am, then I'd be sorry to know that this site is only for people herded (by fear, perhaps?) into traditional medical "treatment". (My personal feelings about traditional therapy and the relinquishing of one's health to others have no place here, but I will admit that I feel strongly about it.)

I am NOT the same person I was when I first posted here. That person was scared, ready to do what the CCC told us were options, and more of a deer in the headlights. (They didn't even know about Avemar, or nutrition related to the immune system when we asked!) Fortunately I married a man with the strength to listen to his body and to gently show me that his choices were made out of love for me.

So I hope that you'll talk to me about this, because I'm now a STRONG advocate for questioning everything and making better choices. I want to shout from the rooftops--- "MY HUSBAND HAS HEALED HIS CANCER!"

Elin,

None of us wanted to go thru this barbaric Tx but none of us wanted to die either and as far as I know there was no credible scientific proof that going with any alternative Tx was anything but very risky bordering on the foolish.

Lets hope that this has and will continue to work for him and maybe something positive can come from this.

Elin,

I was very interested to see your post. Even though Richard has been treated with traditional procedures, we won't know for a few more weeks whether they've worked or there is still residual cancer left. Both of us have been into natural remedies, organic gardening, herbs and exercise for decades. I've always been surprised at how uninformed most doctors are about natural remedies for well-being or physical problems. They are very quick to push drugs on people.
As far as cancer goes, I just don't know. There is a lot of quakery out there to beware of. You are getting back to the basics and eliminating a lot of junk going into your bodies. I would hope more research money would be put into alternatives other then the harsh treatments offered now. If we find that Richard's cancer hasn't responded to traditional treatment, we will gladly incorporate the raw food approach. As of now, our organic garden is well under way and we will have an abundance of fresh veggies. Good luck with Ron's test results and keep us posted. Let me know if I can send you a private message... Geri

Elin

You can shout all you want. When the cancer comes back again, we will be here for you. My stage IV cancer tumor which was huge shrank completely and was invisible after only 10 sessions - yes "gone" - the magic of radiation. With a dozen radiation sessions, no surprise your husband "appears" to be cured.
Miracle diet cures are a dime a dozen. Proponents even appear on shlock TV shows touting their cure. Then they die
How sad to read a post like yours. Dream on

Thank you for posting your husbands current sucess story. I hope it stays that way. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and their choice of treatments.

Im a true believer of conventional medicine, I am not someone who has been 'hearded' into this thinking. If there was a cure out there for oral cancer or any other cancer for that matter, it would be widely available. Cancer would be a thing of the past. One thing I have learned about cancer, if you have it once you always have it. It just goes away into remission but it does not dissappear magically.

Of course anyone who eats healthier foods will be a healthier person. Personally, I am not ready to attempt something that has not been thoroughly tested and recommended by any of my numerous doctors. There are way too many scammers out there trying to make a fast buck from those who think there is an easy way to beat this deadly disease. Chemo, radiation and surgeries are what is proven to work.

If its not too much trouble to check back here yearly with an update, it would be appreciated. Wishing your husband continued good health.

I've definately read that eating raw, organic foods can prevent cancer, but I've never heard of it curing it. Good luck and congrats!

Kelli

I understand your reply, David. But I no longer have much faith in how our medical system has changed (US care) since HMOs and Kaiser going for profitable medical care, many times at the expense of the patient (notwithstanding their effective ad campaigns).

Forty years after that political decision, it is all about the money.

You said, "None of us wanted to go thru this barbaric TX..." and then you balance that with only one other side of the teeter totter -- "to die". Don't you believe that that's the thinking of "either/or" when there may be MORE to choose from?

We (husband and I) chose differently, is all, after careful research and weighing the options objectively. We didn't choose the "either/or" route, and I would hope that there is room for discussion of those other options.

When you're afraid, it is easy to hand over control of one's medical care to someone/anyone who seems to have the answer.

even easier to hand your life over to vegetables

[quote=ChristineB]
If its not too much trouble to check back here yearly with an update, it would be appreciated. Wishing your husband continued good health. [/quote]

You can count on it, Christine, and thank you. With our lifestyle changes, and knowing that we ALL have opportunistic cancer cells awaiting a compromised immune system, I realize that futures can be iffy for any of us. Interesting to contemplate that we ALL have cancer cells in us, isn't it?

So, if I'm trained in art, I'm not going to know much about auto mechanics, am I? That allegory is to explain why I believe oncologists cannot give me the total picture, since their training doesn't include nutrition, or anything outside of their medical training/specialty. And they don't have permission to give me alternatives.

Interesting that Dr. Budwig was nominated for SEVEN Nobel prizes, but her fifty-year research has not flowed into the public mainstream until the Internet. If there WERE a cancer "cure" (I call it healing), wouldn't one think that the money and power in the insurance/pharmaceutical and HMOs would do everything possible to suppress it, debunk it and decry it as charlatan? Nobody makes money on cottage cheese and flax seed oil and supplements, because they cannot patent it. Bill Henderson makes next to nothing in having that book which accumulates the alternative treatments out there.

Yes, what has happened to my beloved (rads and chemo might have weakened the tumors, true) is all positive, without the side-effects of the total treatment prescribed by the HMO. Would it have worked without the chemo-1/rad-13? I don't know. I do know that our choice and when we chose it DID work. Will it work forever? I also don't know that. But I do know that for now, I have my husband intact, healthy beyond belief, and we are optimistic for his and our future together as we continue to eat raw, supplement ourselves and respect the medical community only for what they can do, knowing that taking control of our medical lives is the best decision we ever made.

I'm so tired of the pill-dispensing medical system we have in the U.S., who are either pushing us into pharmaceutical reliance, or denying us treatment because of cost issues. They treat symptoms, never addressing the underlying causes except in rare cases. I've talked to doctors outside their practice who say that they cannot prescribe protocols outside of what the AMA, ACS and the over-riding insurance guidelines specify because if they do, they end up losing their license to practice! Off the record, doctor friends in the medical community have told me that while they work in the environments that pay their way, they are not permitted to prescribe anything unless it is tied to their sponsors'"approved treatments".

Ah, never mind. I've said what I needed to say, and I know here that I'm not preaching to the choir. If I offended anyone, I'm sorry. I have a dear friend who is going through the complete chemo/surgery/rad/chemo, who is afraid to "not listen to her doctor". And another friend lost her husband while she appealed a treatment that could have saved him. It HAD been approved by her doctor, but one of the insurance people who is paid to save the HMO money denied it when it came up to the insurance level. By the time she got through the insurance appeal and the treatment was approved, he was too weak for the surgery and died soon after, never getting the treatment. Sorry if that frustration comes through here.

I wish you all well, and hope that everyone with any cancer will take control of their options.

I've asked the moderator to delete your offensive web site link. fine with me if you want to post your delusions, but you need to modify your self description as an artist with a relevant adjective: BULLSHIT